So, we’ve established that Disney+ has some highs and lows when it comes to their Facebook marketing strategy, but how are they doing compared to other media streaming juggernauts like Netflix? Spoiler alert: not so hot. While both brands have similar flaws with their overall strategy, there are still some areas that Disney+’s Facebook is seriously lacking compared to Netflix’s.
Here’s how the two stacked up and why my classmate Val and I found that Netflix took home the crown:
Right On Time
Both Netflix and Disney+ have got the best times to post down, sticking to the general 9:00a.m to 6:00 pm time frame. According to Sprout Social’s article “Best Times to Post on Social Media,” Wednesday at 11 am and 1 pm are the best times to upload content on Facebook, and both brands make sure to have posts up on those days especially. Though you can occasionally find them posting outside of the advised time range, the two brands tend to adhere to it pretty well. Netflix wins out in this category, however, because their steady posts seem to indicate that they are using a 3rd party social media post scheduler, such as Hootsuite, to update their Facebook page. You’ll remember this is one of my critiques of Disney+’s Facebook marketing strategy, as according to “7 steps to an effective Facebook marketing strategy” by Sprout Social, it is highly encouraged to ensure brands are posting at the best times for engagement and staying on top of their content schedule.
Though they’re both doing decently well at this, Disney+ could stand to learn from Netflix in the scheduling department!
Too Much Of A Good Thing?
However, Disney+ edges out Netflix in adherence to the post frequency best practice. While there was one day in particular where Disney+ posted a lot, Netflix regularly posts more than the recommended one to two times a day, as stated in Meltwater’s article “How Often Should You Post on Social Media”. Steering away by one post isn’t too egregious, but Netflix can be found posting upwards of four to five times a day! With their bloated content portfolio, it’s no wonder they can’t hold back from posting as much as they do. But they’d probably benefit from cutting down their frequency just a bit, as brands don’t want to be flooding their followers’ timelines with their content at the risk of losing them.
Diverse Original Content
Both brands are lucky in that they have a huge catalog of work to choose from when creating their social media posts, as they both have a ton of original content. As Val noted, Search Engine Journal’s “Facebook’s Best Practices For Increasing Video Reach” states that Facebook’s algorithm promotes content that it deems to be original. However, Netflix easily takes the cake in this category. As good as Disney+’s content is, their Facebook posts all fall into one of the following categories: poster of a show/movie, clip of a show/movie, meme with a screenshot of a show/movie, and ad for a Disney related app.
Comparatively, Netflix has a ton of other original content for users such as behind-the-scenes looks at their shows, interviews with cast members, “man on the street” type videos, etc. There is such a wide variety of content that users can find that wouldn’t be offered to them elsewhere, incentivizing them to follow along for any bonus content they might get over a more casual fan.
This is a very smart usage of their original content and Disney+ could learn a thing or two about creating more digital extras for social media like Netflix does.
Calling All Comments
But Netflix fumbles with their lack of engagement with their Facebook followers. I’m sure we all remember my rant from last week about how awful Disney+ is at responding to their commenters, both good and bad, and how big of a social media faux pas this is. According to “7 Steps to an Effective Facebook Marketing Strategy” by Sprout Social, engaging with users is highly encouraged to increase engagement on posts. This is an area that Netflix should have excelled in, as the brand is relatively responsive on other platforms. However, it seems like across the board brands are neglecting Facebook and the wide range of options they have to have meaningful interactions with their customers. Or at the very least, they’re overlooking the wrath that can be unleashed within the confines of an irate soccer mom’s comment. We’ve all seen it, and it’s not pretty.
Both brands should quickly take care of this major gaffe if they want to see their engagement improve.
Why Did Netflix Win?
Both brands are pretty similar in their approach to Facebook marketing, even down to the mistakes. Overall, Val and I concluded that a mix of better content and posting schedules made Netflix stand out more than Disney+. Netflix has put more priority on offering followers extra content rather than recycled clips, posters and ads that can be found on Disney+’s Facebook. The brand also seems to be making use of a posting schedule, unlike Disney+, which seems to be more random with their uploads.
What do you think? Is Netflix the rightful winner or should we call a recount? Let me know in the comments below!
Nicole Kalitsi 